Written Answers Tuesday 25 August 2009

Scottish Executive

Alcohol

Mike Rumbles (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated value is of the alcoholic beverages that it currently stores and how many bottles of (a) wine, (b) beer, (c) spirits and (d) other alcoholic beverages.

John Swinney: Alcohol is served at official Scottish Government hospitality events. On such occasions the alcohol is routinely provided by contracted caterers on a sale or return basis.

Antisocial Behaviour

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what powers local authorities have to ensure that graffiti are removed swiftly from private property such as parking equipment, post boxes, bins, walls and houses where owners fail to do so.

Fergus Ewing: The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 provides powers for local authorities to serve a graffiti removal notice on any responsible person where a relevant surface in that local authority’s area has been defaced. A relevant surface includes any building, structure, apparatus, plant or other object on a public road. These provisions are designed to encourage the owners to work in partnership with local authorities to ensure that graffiti is removed from their property.

  The act also provides that a person who sells spray paint to those under 16 in Scotland commits an offence. Anyone who contravenes this legislation is guilty of a criminal offence and liable to a fine of up to £1,000. This is a useful step in preventing the misuse of spray paint by persons in acts of vandalism and is intended to work in concert with other approaches.

Justice

Stewart Maxwell (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether homicide figures are split into deprivation quintiles.

Kenny MacAskill: The annual data collection of homicide information from police forces in Scotland provides information at local authority area level. It is therefore not possible to allocate Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) ranks on the basis of the homicide information provided in this return.

  Police forces have also provided homicide information specifically for the purposes of developing SIMD 2009. However, this information cannot be used for any further analyses. Although individual crime level geo-referenced homicide information was provided, the crimes of homicide are analysed as part of a larger group of crimes of violence, in the development of SIMD 2009. Therefore, although the data could be split into deprivation quintiles, any such analyses would require an additional approach being made to police forces.

Justice

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a formal response to allegations reported in Scottish newspapers regarding the Crown Agent’s handling of evidence at the Lockerbie trial.

Frank Mulholland: The allegations made by Christine Grahame MSP on 17 July 2009 are entirely without foundation.

Justice

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the statement given to the media in response to allegations reported in Scottish newspapers on the conduct of the Crown Agent in handling evidence at the Lockerbie trial.

Frank Mulholland: On 17 July 2009, Christine Grahame MSP issued a press release highlighting unfounded allegations she had made to Lothian and Borders Police. These allegations have subsequently been dismissed by the police as having no basis.

  To help with questions from the media about Ms Grahame’s press release, the following note to editors was provided:

  We have been made aware of serious allegations made by Christine Grahame against the Crown Agent, Norman McFadyen, in relation to the Lockerbie trial.

  These are defamatory and entirely unfounded allegations of the most serious kind. Norman McFadyen is a man of the utmost integrity who is held in the highest regard by the Law Officers.

  Not only is the allegation false in itself, but Mrs Grahame appears to have misunderstood the process because the documents which she has referred to were not part of and had absolutely nothing to do with it.

  The whole process was fully considered by the trial court which thanked the then Lord Advocate for the Crown’s efforts to bring as much information as possible before the court. By the end of the process, information made available to the Crown by the US authorities was made available to the defence, the trial court and also the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission in the form in which it was received from the US authorities.

  The commission extensively and fully investigated the process. The commission concluded that there was no basis to refer the issue to the appeal court.

Land Ownership

Kenneth Gibson (Cunninghame North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much land in Scotland is under the control of the Ministry of Defence.

John Swinney: From information held by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland and from National Statistics on the Government Estate, we estimate that the Ministry of Defence owns 79,200 hectares of land in Scotland.

Legislation

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how many legislative consent motions have been approved by the Parliament in the current parliamentary session, broken down by year.

Bruce Crawford: A total of 18 legislative consent motions (LCMs) have been passed this session in connection with 17 UK bills. Broken down by year the totals are:

  Legislative Consent Motions by Parliamentary Year – Session 3

  

Parliamentary Year
LCMs


9 May 2007 – 8 May 2008
8


9 May 2008 – 8 May 2009
81


9 May 2009 – Present 
22


Total Session 3 to date 
18



  Notes:

  1. There were two separate LCMs for the UK Energy Bill (18 June 2008 and 13 November 2008).

  2. Two legislative consent memoranda were lodged prior to the summer recess (for the Child Poverty Bill and the Equality Bill) and have not yet been the subject of a legislative consent motion.

  This information is already in the public domain and is available from on the Scottish Parliament’s website at the following link http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/legConMem/index.htm.

Ministerial Meetings

Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-31268 by Margaret Curran on 5 February 2007, whether it will provide a breakdown of the joint ministerial (a) committee and (b) sub-committee meetings held since January 2007, including attendees.

Michael Russell: Since January 2007, there has been one meeting of the joint ministerial committee (plenary), two meetings of the joint ministerial committee (domestic) and nine meetings of the joint ministerial committee (Europe).

  The list of attendees at each meeting is as follows:

  


Joint Ministerial Committee (Plenary)

  Wednesday 25 June 2008 


UK
Secretary of State for Justice (Chair)


Secretary of State for Scotland


Secretary of State for Wales


Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 


Scotland
First Minister of Scotland


Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth


Wales
First Minister for Wales


Deputy First Minister for Wales


Northern Ireland
First Minister for Northern Ireland


Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland



  


Joint Ministerial Committee (Domestic)

Wednesday 11 March 2009


UK
Secretary of State for Wales (Chair)


Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform


Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office


Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office 


Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scotland Office


Scotland
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Well-being


Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution


Wales
First Minister of Wales


Minister for Children, Lifelong Learning and Skills



  


Joint Ministerial Committee (Domestic) 

Wednesday 13 May 2009


UK
Secretary of State for Wales (Chair)


Minister of State for Borders and Immigration


Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office


Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Wales Office 


Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Scotland Office


Scotland
Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution


Minister for Schools and Skills 


Wales
First Minister 


Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport 


Northern Ireland
First Minister of Northern Ireland


Junior Minister, Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Tuesday 20 February 2007


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Minister for the Cabinet Office and for Social Exclusion


Leader of the House of Lords and Lord, President of the Council


Minister of State (Europe), Foreign and Commonwealth Office


Paymaster General, HM Treasury


Minister of State, Department for Health


Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government


Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Trade and Industry


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Education and Skills


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Wales Office


Assistant Government Whip


Scotland
Minister for Finance and Public Reform



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Tuesday 5 June 2007


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the chair)


Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council


Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State Ministry of Justice


Attorney General


Minister of State (Europe) Foreign and Commonwealth Office


Minister of State


Department for Trade and Industry


Minister of State Home Office


Minister of State Department for Health


Minister of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Culture, Media and Sport


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Communities and Local Government


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Department for Transport


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Scotland Office


Assistant Government Whip


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Northern Ireland


Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister


Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Tuesday, 2 October, 2007


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor, Department for Justice


Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip


Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)


Attorney General


Minister of State (Europe), Foreign and Commonwealth Office 


Advocate General for Scotland


Minister of State, Home Office


Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport


Economic Secretary, HM Treasury


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for International Development


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Northern Ireland
Minister in the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Wednesday, 5 December, 2007


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Leader of the House of Commons


Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip


Attorney General


Minister of State (Europe), Foreign and Commonwealth Office 


Minister of State, Department for Transport


Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government


Minister of State, Scotland Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for International Development


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Wales
First Minister for Wales



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Monday, 3 March, 2008


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform


Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip


Secretary of State for Northern Ireland


Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Council


Minister of State and Minister for the South West, Department for Health


Minister of State, Scotland Office


Minister of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons


Advocate General for Scotland


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Transport


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Tuesday, 17 June, 2008


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip


Secretary of State for Northern Ireland


Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)


Secretary of State for Wales


Attorney General


Minister of State (Europe), Foreign and Commonwealth Office


Minister of State, Scotland Office


Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Secretary, Office of the Leader of the House of Commons


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for International Development


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Wales
First Minister for Wales


Northern Ireland
Junior Minister, Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Monday, 6 October, 2008


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair)


Minister of State (Europe)


Deputy Leader of the House of Commons


Financial Secretary to the Treasury


Minister of State, Scotland Office


Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs


Advocate General for Scotland


Attorney General


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Further Education


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Wales Office


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Wales
First Minister for Wales


Northern Ireland
Junior Minister, Office of the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Monday, 1 December, 2008


UK
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair) 


Secretary of State Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs


Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury


Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs


Advocate General for Scotland


Attorney General


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Home Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice 


Scotland
Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture


Wales
First Minister for Wales


Northern Ireland
Junior Minister, Office of the First and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Monday, 9 March, 2009


UK
Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office (in the Chair) 


Minister of State (Europe)


Secretary of State Department for Transport


Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor


Secretary of State for Wales


Assistant Chief Whip


Advocate General for Scotland


Attorney General


Economic Secretary to the Treasury


Minister of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change


Minister of State, Home Office


Minister of State, Department for International Development


Minister of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport


Minister of State, Department for Health


Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scotland Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Work and Pensions


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families


Scotland
Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution



  

 
Joint Ministerial Committee on the European Union 

Monday, 8 June, 2009


UK
Minister of State (Europe)


Secretary of State for Wales


Minister of State, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills


Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills


Financial Services Secretary


Advocate General for Scotland


Assistant Chief Whip


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Scotland Office


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change


Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Department of Work and Pensions


Minister of State, Department for Transport


Scotland
Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution


Wales
First Minister of Wales

National Conversation

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of producing (a) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Education and Lifelong Learning, (b) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Finance and Sustainable Growth, (c) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Health and Wellbeing, (d) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Justice, (e) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Rural Affairs and the Environment and (f) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Scotland’s Place in the World.

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it (a) has spent and (b) is planning to spend on distributing (i) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Education and Lifelong Learning, (ii) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Finance and Sustainable Growth, (iii) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Health and Wellbeing, (iv) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Justice, (v) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Rural Affairs and the Environment and (vi) Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate: Scotland’s Place in the World.

Michael Russell: Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate leaflets are an important contribution to informing the public debate successfully generated by the National Conversation. Over 4,500 people have attended public events, there have been over 500,000 hits on the National Conversation web pages and the voluntary sector, businesses, universities, the media, faith groups, ethnic minorities, and Scotland’s young people are all taking part.

  The cost for design, printing, translation and web publication was £20,927. The cost of distribution to almost 600 libraries across Scotland was £3,452. Copies of the leaflets will be available at National Conversation events and on request.

National Conversation

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on the National Conversation.

Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-23202 on 1 July 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx .

  Further to that answer, a further £24,379 has been spent on the design, publication, print, distribution and translation of Scotland’s Future: Join the Debate leaflets.

  Expenditure on the National Conversation includes the cost of supporting a successful programme of public engagement, which has resulted in over 4,500 people attending events across the country to debate Scotland’s future. Expenditure also includes the cost of engaging with the UK Government, and others, on related initiatives such as the Governance of Britain programme, the All Wales Convention, the Independent Commission on Funding and Finance for Wales and the Commission on Scottish Devolution – which involved over 20 officials in the preparation of a Scottish Government response to requests for factual information.

National Conversation

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it plans to spend on the National Conversation.

Michael Russell: Expenditure on the National Conversation will be at the level required to ensure that the people of Scotland are in a position to make an informed choice about their future in a referendum.

Planning

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive in which local authorities there are pilot single interface arrangements between community planning partnerships and the third sector.

Jim Mather: Since March 2008, across Scotland community planning partnerships (CPPs) and the third sector locally have been devising new arrangements, known as single interfaces, which cover four functions: support for voluntary organisations, volunteering, social enterprise and building connections between the CPP and the sector.

  Such interface arrangements already exist in Edinburgh, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Shetland, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and, shortly Moray.

  These are not pilot or experimental groups but rather early adopters who have grasped the opportunity for the sector to connect effectively with the CPP and to benefit their community as a whole.

Planning

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how the pilot single interface arrangements between community planning partnerships and the third sector will be evaluated.

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale is for the evaluation of the pilot single interface arrangements between community planning partnerships and the third sector.

Jim Mather: Evaluation of the interface is primarily for the partners themselves. To assist this process the Scottish Government is working with the early adopters group on evaluation and monitoring methods. We will also commission research in the autumn, with the engagement of the third sector and public sector partners, on the role of third sector organisations in community planning partnerships. This research is intended to establish the level and type of third sector involvement in community planning partnerships and make recommendations about effective models for engagement.

Procurement

George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what process of competitive tendering was undertaken prior to the award to CG Cope of the contract for ongoing recruitment campaigns.

John Swinney: The Central Government Centre of Procurement Expertise placed contracts with two separate service providers in 2008 to provide recruitment advertising services and to provide assessment centre services. Both contracts were awarded after a full competitive tendering exercise, including advertisement in the Official Journal of the EU (OJEU), using the "restricted procedure" (as defined in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006).

Procurement

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its targets are for small businesses in relation to public procurement and how these targets are measured.

John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution made to the delivery of public services in Scotland and to the Scottish economy by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We have introduced a number of measures to encourage SME participation in bidding for public contracts, including writing to chief executives and heads of procurement throughout the public sector, encouraging them to use "The Six Simple Steps" (which include the Public Contracts Scotland Portal and Supplier Charter) in their procurement activities.

  Information obtained from the Scottish Procurement Information Hub, which monitors spend by major Scottish public bodies indicates that in each of the last three financial years, over 48% of Scottish public sector spend has been with SMEs.

Scottish Futures Trust

Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust has had responsibility for or input into the construction of the buildings or infrastructure projects featured in photographs on its website.

John Swinney: I have asked Barry White, Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust to respond. His response is as follows:

  The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) clearly states on each page of its website (see link below) that "Images on this website are of recent Scottish public infrastructure projects, representing the type of projects that SFT will be involved in".

  www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk

Smoking

Dr Richard Simpson (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has given any consideration to the recent statement by Professor Terence Stephenson, new President of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, in which he called for the United Kingdom to follow New Brunswick, California, South Australia and Cyprus in extending the ban on smoking to include smoking in a car containing children under the age of 16.

Shona Robison: The successful implementation of the Scottish smoke-free legislation has undoubtedly reduced exposure to second-hand smoke among children in Scotland, partly as a result of the greater awareness among their parents and those close to them about the risks of second-hand smoke. While there are currently no plans to extend the smoke-free laws to private cars, the Scottish Government is conscious that private cars are now one of the main places for exposure of children to second-hand smoke. In conjunction with our health improvement partners, therefore, we will continue to do all we can to highlight the risks posed by second-hand smoke.

Third Sector Task Group

Johann Lamont (Glasgow Pollok) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the minutes of the meetings of the Third Sector Task Group are publicly available.

Jim Mather: The minutes of the Third Sector Task Group are publicly available and can be found on the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations’ website at http://www.scvo.org.uk/taskgroup .

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Procurement

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its targets are for small businesses to access contracts it is responsible for issuing and how these targets are measured.

Tom McCabe: The SPCB does not have specific targets regarding small businesses access to contracts – this is because the number, type and value of SPCB contracts let each year varies considerably, so any targets set would not reflect genuine contracting opportunities. However it does have a clearly defined policy to actively remove barriers to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participation in procurement. Steps taken to support this policy include:

  Publication of all current and forthcoming contracts (above £5,000) on the Parliament website;

  Publication of tender list on the procurement website to increase sub-contracting opportunities;

  Annual "Meet the Buyer" events aimed specifically at SMEs;

  Simplified procurement documentation (e.g. conditions of contract written in plain English);

  Increase in formal tendering threshold from £30,000 to £60,000;

  Easily accessible tendering guidance produced and issued on procurement website;

  Individual strategy for each procurement project considers SME impacts;

  Links with organisations representing SMEs are maintained,

  Appointment of a champion for SMEs within procurement services.

  At present, procurement services operates a simple monitoring system that measures the number and value of contracts awarded to SMEs on an annual basis. Since 2003, the contracts awarded to SMEs (as % of total contracts awarded) is as follows:

  2003-04 - 39%.

  2004-05 - 48%.

  2005-06 - 45%.

  2006-07 - 62%.

  2007-08 - 67%.

  2008-09 - 53%.

Procurement

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it uses the Public Contracts Scotland website to advertise contracts it is responsible for issuing.

Tom McCabe: : All contract adverts are placed on the Public Contract Scotland website.

  The SPCB registered as a contracting authority with Public Contracts Scotland in August 2008, placing its first contract advert in September 2008.

  The SPCB is also represented by a member of the procurement services team on the Public Contracts Scotland Forum.

Procurement

Jamie Hepburn (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it makes small businesses aware of opportunities to apply for procurement opportunities with the Scottish Parliament.

Tom McCabe: : Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are made aware of opportunities in a variety of ways including:

  Targeted "Meet the Buyer" events that provide practical assistance to SMEs to help them bid for public sector contracts (these events are aimed at SMEs in industry sectors for which we have forthcoming requirements);

  On the Scottish Parliament website (the website provides information on current and forthcoming contracts (over £5,000) as well as contract adverts and sub-contracting opportunities);

  On the Public Contracts Scotland website;

  SMEs registered on the Parliament’s supplier database are alerted to contract adverts being placed;

  The Parliament’s supplier database is used to source suppliers for low-value requirements wherever it is inappropriate to advertise a contract. As 69% of suppliers on the database are SMEs, this increases their contracting opportunities,

  Procurement staff attending SME events organised by other public sector bodies or organisations aimed at supporting SMEs. All SMEs encountered are encouraged to register on the Parliament’s supplier database and also on the Public Contracts Scotland website.